The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey
A book review
I never read the Expanse series, James S. A. Corey’s other major work, but did watch all of the series. I’d heard great things about the books though, and after finishing this one I can see why. Where the Expanse show does a great job of showing the action and hard sci-fi elements of the story, it leaves out one crucial thing. Corey is a phenomenal writer, with some of the best prose I’ve read in sci-fi recently.
It’s important to note here that James S. A. Corey is actually a pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who work together under this pseudonym. I’ll refer to them as one author in this review for simplicity. Also, there are some spoilers ahead, but nothing more than is given away on the back cover. Subscribe if you want to catch more book reviews in the future!
“What is, is.”
There’s a terrible finality to this idiom used by the Carryx, the dominant alien race in James S. A. Corey’s newest space opera, The Mercy of Gods. In their view, survival is the ultimate moral goal of life. Anything that forwards it, or is in the interest of the species, is the highest good. Subjugation of other, lesser species to further your own is therefore a moral imperative. And such is the fate of the human society on the planet Anjin. They’re invaded, decimated, and the best among them are taken for service to the Carryx.
In that idiom too is what I loved about the book. There are volumes of thought distilled to their vital essence. The tone is scientific and dispassionate, and the prose is pared down to the bare necessities to match it. It’s sharp in the way a scalpel is — clear, concise, and quick to cut to the bone. And beneath it, there’s a subtle depth that is, at times, inspiring.
Beyond the prose, The Mercy of Gods shines brightest in its world building. Although I engaged with the characters, and found them pleasantly fleshed out and dynamic, I stuck around for the landscape. This book is a masterclass in bringing the reader along for the discovery of this alien environment, whether it’s through a new POV or a historical record of one of the Carryx, I felt like I was figuring out the puzzle along with the characters, or sometimes just ahead of them. It kept me turning the pages quickly, and I loved the journey.
I enjoyed this start into James S. A. Corey’s works, and will definitely be picking up the rest of The Captive’s War trilogy as it’s released. In the meantime, maybe I need to go back and read The Expanse series.